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— Sugar & sweeteners application

Color measurement for concentrated sugar streams.

IC-COLOR™ measures color and absorbance in highly absorbing, turbid sugar samples with substantially less sample preparation than conventional photometry — from rapid benchtop / at-line measurements today to continuous inline monitoring planned for 2027.

Discuss your sugar applicationSee IC-COLOR™ →
~0.3–50 A420
In a standard 10 mm cuvette
300–50,000 IUeq
ICUMSA-equivalent color range
Benchtop → Inline
Inline planned 2027
— Why sugar is difficult to measure

Why concentrated sugar is difficult to measure.

Conventional sugar color analysis requires substantial sample preparation because concentrated sugar streams can be both highly absorbing and turbid — two independent problems that both distort a conventional photometric reading.

HIGH ABSORBANCE

Concentrated, dark sugar syrups can exceed the photometric range of conventional spectrophotometers — typically requiring dilution, short-path cuvettes or back-calculation before the result is usable.

TURBIDITY / SCATTERING

Microcrystals, suspended particles, fibres and other material can scatter light and bias a conventional absorbance reading — turning color into a moving target rather than a fixed number.

IC-COLOR™ addresses both effects together, in the same 10 mm cuvette.

— Why IC-COLOR™

When conventional photometry runs out of range.

IC-COLOR™ 4200Å has demonstrated a measurement range of approximately 0.3–50 A420 in a standard 10 mm cuvette, enabling direct measurement of highly absorbing sugar streams that would typically need to be diluted or measured at a much shorter optical path.

Conventional photometry~3–4 Abs
IC-COLOR™ 4200ÅUp to ~50 A420

~3–4 Abs is a representative / typical conventional photometric range — not every instrument shares exactly the same range.

The same measurement also reduces routine dilution, filtration and pH adjustment before a result is usable.

— Workflow

Fewer steps between sample and result.

CONVENTIONALSample→Dilution→Filtration→pH adjustment where required→Photometric measurement→Calculation→Result
IC-COLOR™ 4200ÅSample→10 mm cuvette→Measurement→ICUMSA-equivalent result

Typical conventional preparation may include dilution, filtration and pH adjustment — exact steps vary by method and sample.

— Where it fits

Move color measurement closer to the process.

Current

Process syrup

Rapid color measurements on intermediate sugar streams.

Application evaluation

Crystallization / massecuite / mother liquor

Color information during process development or troubleshooting where the optical configuration is suitable.

Application evaluation

Centrifuge / crystal washing

Color-related process information to support optimization of washing conditions, where validated.

Current

Final product / laboratory QC

Rapid benchtop or at-line color measurement for release testing and shift-level QC.

During crystal washing and centrifuge operation, color information can potentially help indicate whether sufficient washing has occurred, whether wash water use is excessive, or whether process conditions are drifting — creating potential value through reduced water use, reduced downstream evaporation demand and earlier process feedback, where validated for the specific process.

Application evaluation available for clear sugar solutions · concentrated syrups · dark syrups · mother liquor · refinery / process streams · beet & cane process samples.

— Product evolution

From at-line color to continuous process color.

Current platform

IC-COLOR™ Benchtop / At-line

Take a sample and obtain a rapid color result with minimal preparation.
  • +Lab QC
  • +Campaign samples
  • +Process troubleshooting
  • +Rapid at-line measurements
Planned — 2027

IC-COLOR™ Inline

Move the same measurement concept into the process for continuous color / absorbance information.
  • +Continuous syrup color trends
  • +Earlier process drift detection
  • +Centrifuge / washing optimization potential
  • +Less dependence on manual sampling
  • +Process-control input where validated

IC-COLOR™ starts as a rapid benchtop / at-line measurement and evolves toward continuous in-process monitoring — the same measurement concept, moved progressively closer to the process.

— Real proof

Validated on real sugar syrup.

IC-COLOR™ was validated against two independent reference spectrophotometers across 35 diverse sugar syrup samples, measured undiluted and unfiltered.

R² > 0.999
vs. two reference spectrophotometers
MAE 0.014 A420
2.8% mean absolute error, 35 samples
<0.9% RSD
Fixed-cuvette repeatability
View the full validation case study →

IC-COLOR™ reports ICUMSA-equivalent values; it does not replace certified ICUMSA laboratory methods for regulatory or certification purposes without an application-specific validation context.

What sugar stream do you need to measure?

Tell us the sample type, expected color range, current reference method and where in the process the measurement is needed. We can evaluate whether IC-COLOR™ is suitable for benchtop, at-line or future inline measurement.

Discuss your sugar applicationSend sugar samples for evaluationExplore IC-COLOR™ →

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